Harney & Sons

She stepped into the doorway of her apartment, making way for Tom to enter. "You'll have to excuse the clutter." She said softly, I don't normally have guests." Madison closed the door softly, locking it before leading Him down the hall. Tom followed through the pristine front hallway, wondering what she was talking about until they got to her living room. He paused and looked around, slowly panning across the multiple stacks of books, folders, and scattered files.

"Where exactly, do you live in here?" Tom teased, mildly shocked by the clutter surrounding him.

"I told you I don't get many visitors." She slid her boots off and tossed them into the corner by her door. She looked around, noticing the chaos from a perspective other than her own for the first time. "I never really finished unpacking." She spoke under her breath, turning to look at Tom. "When you move around all the time, you become accustomed to living out of boxes." They paused, soaking in the awkward silence.

"Do you want some tea?" She asked him as she gestured to her kitchen, another oddly clean and organized spot in her apartment. She walked, barefoot to her stove, lighting the range to put the kettle on. It was an old, well-loved tea kettle that she has had since she escaped England. "What kind of tea do you like?" She asked, "I have quite the variety." Madison pulled the stool out from under the counter and climbed up, opening the top cupboard. Tom shuffled up behind her, looking up at her as she pushed around the tins and packs of tea.

"Do you have any cinnamon blends?" He asked, glancing down at his feet as he felt a cat push up against him. The inky cat stared up at him and meowed, baring his teeth. He squatted down to pet the fur ball but got within an inch of the cat and was hissed at. He raised an eyebrow and stood back up. "Alrighty then…" Tom looked back up at Madison and smirked, trying not to stare at her. He sighed, pushing his hair back. She spun around and hopped off the counter, shaking a can of hot cinnamon tea.

"Can't really beat Harney and Sons." She smiled. She pulled two tea cups off the shelf and set them up, scooping the loose tea into the cups. "How do you take yours? She asked, pulling out the honey for her own tea.

"May I have some of that?" He asked as he wrapped his hand around hers as he reached for the honey bottle. "Just to help… sweeten things." He stared at her, fire in his eyes. She flushed slightly and hid a smile as she looked down. "

"Hey, that's honestly the best way." She whispered, locking eyes with the handsome man holding her hand in his. He leaned down, inching slowly closer to her. She swore she could see small, barely invisible scars around his pink, perfect lips but in seconds his mouth was on hers. She leaned back into the kiss, dropping the honey bottle on the floor as her hands found their way up his back and rested on his shoulder blades, pulling him closer to her. The fingers of his right hand tangled in her hair and her wrapped his left arm around her waist, pulling her up as he straightened his back. Her feet left the floor and she wrapped her legs around him. He shifted his left hand under her bottom as he spun her around onto the opposite counter as not to spill the tea. They stayed like that, kissing and nipping at each other's lips, taking shallow breaths in between. The tension between the two of them had been building over the past hour. He pulled at the hem of her sweater, smiling into the kiss as she let him pull it from her body, exposing the purple lace bralette hidden underneath. Tom had just began to kiss her neck when they heard glass shatter. They snapped to attention and looked to the counter space behind them where they had left the tea. Salem, who had swatted tea mug off the counter, was staring at them; tail twitching with disapproval. Madison sighed and looked back at Tom, the small scars around his lips were barely visible, but still there.

"Sorry about that." She said softly, her face flushed as she pulled her sweater back on. "The kettle should be done…" She was cut off by the whistling steam shooting out of the spout of the tea kettle. She hopped off the counter and pushed past him to pour the hot water into his tea cup, making a new cup for herself to replace the one destroyed by her cat. She crouched down and picked up the honey bottle off the ground before retrieving the broom to sweep up the mess made by Salem. She kept thinking about his lips on hers, how electrifying they felt. Had it really been that long since she shared affections with another person? When she turned back to him he was looking at her with that same fire in his eyes.

"I know what you're thinking." She muttered. "Yes, it was nice."

"I told you this was a date," He smirked. He took the cinnamon tea from her and Sipped slowly, not breaking eye contact with her. "I think you want me as much as I want you." He whispered as he set the tea down and stepped closer to her, touching the side of her face gently, his hands cool to the touch. She leaned into his hands a breathed deeply. She didn't like getting attached to people and avoided romance. It never ended well.

"Whatever this is Tom, can we just take it slowly? I am not good with relationships." She looked down, memories playing behind her eyes. "Please." Tom lifted her face back up to look at him. He closed the distance between them and kissed her softly.

"Of course, Love." He whispered.